The Prophecy
by Nemesis Enforcer
Summary: Naruto meets a mysterious young woman that reminds him Haruno Sakura who has been lost to him for many years. As more of the mystery around her unfolds, Naruto begins to realize that she may be the key to a prophecy once told to him. Naru/Saku
1. Chapter 1

Greetings. This is my first attempt at fan fiction so I hope that you enjoy it. Please forgive any mistakes.

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of _Kishimoto Masashi_. I am merely taking a few of his characters out for a spin.

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

The sounds of screams and cries for help could be heard echoing throughout the spring night. A small fishing village of relative insignificance was caught up in hysteria as the populace realized that they were being raided. Dozens upon dozens of bandits marauded through the streets from every direction. They mercilessly cut down any hapless villager that attempted to prevent their meager belongings from being stolen.

Some of the villagers knew of the futility in fighting and resigned themselves to give the bandits what they wanted. To the horror of those particular villagers – actually, to the horror of all the villagers – it was soon understood that the bandits were not just looking to loot their possessions. The bandits were also after people.

Not shortly after that realization did the stench of death permeate the crisp night air. The villagers fought valiantly to protect their loved ones from being taken. Unfortunately, the villagers comprised only of simple fishermen, artisans, botanists, and shopkeepers. The shovels, pitch forks, and sickles the villagers used as weapons may as well have been bare fists against the broadswords that the bandits carried. They were completely over matched despite having superior numbers.

The village's own militia, a modest 20 men, was totally overwhelmed in the beginning stages of the raid. Those that fought to protect their loved ones were slaughtered like cattle. Those that tried to flee were merely rounded up as such. It was a hopeless situation and the villagers knew it.

Near the center of the village, Kiyoraka Shiro was frantically running back to the shrine that he was responsible for. He had just been at the village square curious to find out the cause of all the noise and why the village bell was rung as if a hurricane was approaching. Shiro had arrived to find several of his fellow villagers in such a panic that he had trouble deciphering what the exact problem was.

When he finally understood what was happening, he left without a second thought. As he ran along the street that lead back to the shrine, the head priest glanced backwards and was able to make out the forms of about a dozen or so bandits quickly marching in his direction. The group of bandits then started to brake off into twos and threes to storm into the other homes and shops that lined the street.

Shiro knew that it wouldn't be too long before they reached the shrine. He also knew that wasn't the only group of bandits making their way from the outskirts to the village center. Fortunately, the bandits he spotted didn't seem to notice him. Feeling the adrenalin rush brought on by his fight or flight instincts, he doubled his efforts to reach his home quickly and ran as fast as his fifty three year old legs would carry him.

After several moments, Shiro saw that he was nearly upon his destination. As the priest ran through the gate of the shrine's grounds, he briefly entertained the thought of closing and barricading it. The stone walls encompassing the grounds were quite high and locking the gate down may at least delay the bandits enough to get his family to safety.

The thought was quickly discarded as he heard the muffled sound of a door being forced open and following a brief pause, a scream echoed out. He squeezed his eyes shut as he fought down the feeling of guilt at being powerless to help his neighbors and then turned away from the gate. Its construction was only meant to be decorative anyway and the flimsy lock it had would not slow anyone down. Blocking out the cries for help that reached his ears, he sprinted towards the south end of the grounds where his family's home was located.

_I have to keep them safe! I have to hide them!_ It was a mantra that Shiro kept repeating in his head as he covered the distance to his home in just under a minute. It was also a minute he knew he didn't have. Nearly out of breath, Shiro burst through the front door scanning for any sign of his wife and daughter.

"Mariko! Sakura!" he called out in between pants.

"Papa!" "Shiro!" was the simultaneous response he received. Both his wife and daughter came running out of the kitchen. Shiro took a brief moment to sigh in relief to see that they were both unharmed. _For the moment_. At that thought, he took in the worried looks on the faces of his beloved family and decided that he was wasting too much time.

"Hurry – this way!" Shiro grabbed their arms and began leading them to the back of the house.

"Papa? What's wrong? What's going on?"

"There's no time to explain Sakura!" He stopped in front of a door that lead to a small storage closet and opened it.

"Shiro…please. You're scaring us." His wife Mariko was almost in tears as she was attempting to make sense of the situation.

Shiro bent down and began to feel around the out edge of a floor panel. Once he found what he was looking for, he pried the floor panel up to reveal an opening and a ladder that descended into darkness. He straightened back up and gave his wife and daughter a serious look. "There's a lantern at the bottom of the ladder. Now both of you climb down and I'll-"

"Papa, why do we have to go down there?" Sakura didn't even know that room existed before now. She was already nervous with the way her father was acting and all the noise coming from outside. There was no way she was going to climb down into some dark room without an explanation.

Almost immediately after Sakura interrupted Shiro with her question, Mariko stepped toward her husband, placed her hand on his arm and with some apprehension asked one of her own. "Is there a hurricane coming?"

"JUST DO IT!" he thundered, as the stress of the situation got the best of him.

Completely baffled at what just happened Mariko took a step away from Shiro. Never, in all the time she has known her husband, has he ever raised his voice towards her or Sakura. Sakura for her part just stared at her father like he had grown an extra head. That was not the reaction of the father that she's known and loved for the twenty years she's been alive. If she was nervous before, then now she was downright scared.

Realizing that what he had done, Shiro took a deep breath and began again, "Look, I'm sorry I yelled. Please just get into the shelter room. You have to hide before they come."

"Before who comes?"

"Bandits Sakura. Our village is being raided as we speak. Now, please do as I say!" The obvious anxiety in Shiro's voice increased with every word he uttered.

The feeling of absolute dread came over both the Kiyoraka women as they processed what they were just told. Bandits? What do they want? What about the other villagers? A slew of questions bombarded Sakura and Mariko's mind.

Shiro brought their focus back to him. "They're targeting children and young women. The two of you _must_ hide. I can't let anything happen to you." While he spoke, he grabbed Mariko by the shoulders and in an almost dance like fashion, rotated the two of them so that their positions were reversed and she was the one standing in the doorway of the storage closet. "Please Mariko, you have to hurry."

She looked into his light green eyes and saw a torrent of emotion in them. Mariko knew that his only desire now was to keep them safe. Thus, she nodded mutely to show her compliance and began to climb down through the opening in the floor. As she did so, she looked up to see that he had placed Sakura just inside the closet in preparation for her turn to climb down.

Sakura was still facing towards her father but her head was down and her vision seemed to be unfocused. She was thinking that she desperately wanted a hug from him. Whenever her father hugged her, the young shrine maiden always felt safe and that was a feeling she really wanted right now.

Looking at his daughter's face, Shiro could see that she was scared. It pained him so much to see her full of worry and fear. It wasn't fair. She didn't deserve this type of anxiety – this type of fear. The only thing she should be worried about is whether or not that perverted old man from the village library is going to visit the shrine for no reason but to leer at her. Or if there will be a nice young man that she could meet at the upcoming summer festival.

Sakura had her whole life ahead of her. She didn't deserve to worry about being kidnapped by bandits. Shiro inwardly sighed. He knew there was little he could do to completely erase that fear, especially when she realizes what he has planned. But for now, he knew there was something that would ease her anxiety if even a little.

He moved closer to his little girl and enveloped her in a hug.

As soon as she felt her father's arms around her, Sakura returned the embrace and let out a breath she didn't even realize she held.

"It'll be okay sweetheart. Now you must go and hide. Papa will close the floor panel after you've gone down."

At hearing this Mariko stopped her descent into the shelter and looked back up towards her husband in confusion. Realizing that she could not see either her daughter or husband since she was almost at the bottom of the ladder, the elder of the Kiyoraka women began to climb up to find out what Shiro was up to.

Meanwhile, Sakura had pulled back slightly so that she could see her father's face and expressed her confusion on the matter. "Huh? What do you mean? You're coming down too, right?"

"Shiro, just what are you thinking?" Mariko asked. Her head poked through the floor opening. She held her position on the ladder satisfied that she could at least discern her husband's facial expressions. Well, that is if her daughter would move out of the way.

Coincidentally, Sakura did just that and turned her body to glance down in the direction of her mother's voice. Mariko now had an unobstructed view of Sakura's father.

"Look," he began, alternately gazing at the two women, "I'm responsible for the shrine. I have to go and ensure that it's not desecrated."

"What?" mother and daughter both exclaimed.

Sakura continued on further and pleaded with her father. "No Papa! It's too dangerous. Please just hide with us." Tears started to form in her eyes as she thought of the possible consequences of her father not hiding with them.

Fighting tears of her own, Mariko nodded her head in agreement. "She's right dear. You don't need to do that. You should be here with us."

Unable to look at either his wife or daughter, Shiro turned his body slightly to the right and bowed his head. He just wanted them safe. Time was running out and he knew he that couldn't afford to debate the matter with his family. The husband and father of the Kiyoraka family brought his attention back to the women before him. He commanded in a tone of voice that left no doubt that he was serious, "Both of you get down there – now!"

"But-"

"No! No buts Sakura. They are looking to kidnap people and I'm not taking the chance with either of you. I'll go and distract them or something. I'm a just an old priest looking after a shrine. If they think I'm alone then they'll go away. But if they don't find anyone on the shrine grounds then they'll just keep looking and might find us." It seemed that it was Shiro's turn to plead.

Sakura was a bright girl. She knew that his logic was questionable at best. She also knew why an intelligent man like her father would reason in such a way. Academically, Sakura was well aware that in times of stress, people often did things governed purely by emotion. This was especially true when trying to protect those precious to them. For the most part Sakura was a fairly level headed individual. Sure there was the odd occasion where she would lose her temper – sometimes with violent results. Generally, she is the type not to give sway to senseless action when overcome with emotion.

However, she has never experienced a situation like this. She also couldn't bear the thought of something happening to her father – actually to both of her parents. To see her father overcome with emotion pushed her to do the same. Thus, she stated her intention of something that could be categorized as senseless. "Then I'm coming with you!"

The resounding, "NO!", that she received from both of her parents should not have surprised her.

Shiro was now at his wits end. He grasped a hold of both Sakura's shoulders and began to shake her in near hysterics. "PLEASE…STOP ARGUING WITH ME!" Not wanting to see the look of hurt on his daughter's face, he pulled her into a tight embrace and squeezed his eyes shut in an attempt to keep his tears at bay.

The whole situation was just overwhelming and it made him angry. He was angry at the bandits. He was angry that it had to be his village that they targeted. He was angry that he was powerless to stop them. He was angry that his family's well being was threatened. But most of all, after only seeing a brief glimpse of the anguish on his precious daughter's face just now, he was angry with himself for having caused that.

"You are my only child," he began softly, "and nothing – absolutely nothing can happen to you."

Regardless of how tightly he squeezed his eyes, he was unable to prevent the tears from escaping. He felt Sakura tighten her hold and heard the muffled sounds of her sobbing as she cried into his chest.

He let out a shaky breath and continued, "I-I can't…Sakura. I won't let anything happen to you. N-Not…" he paused to take another breath as he remembered the worst pain he ever felt. "Not like your sister. I would rather die than lose another child."

Mariko just shut her eyes as she heard what Shiro had just said. She had taken the death of their first born a lot harder than her husband – at least on the outside. She had grieved for a very long time before coming to terms with what happened. In time, Mariko was able to take all the pain and push it back into the recesses of her mind. She always wondered how Shiro was able to get over the pain so easily. From what he just said, she now knew it was never easy for him. She opened her eyes to see that Shiro was not merely hugging his little girl.

No – this was an embrace that spoke of a goodbye. Time was fleeting.

Shiro opened his eyes to find Mariko looking at him with a melancholic smile. Judging from the look that she gave him, he knew his wife understood and accepted what he had planned. The right side of his mouth rose ever so slightly in the barest of smiles. Mariko was always loving and supportive of him. He felt privileged for having her in his life. Oh, how he wished that he had more time. But there was no more time. With his gaze locked with hers, he mouthed the words that he has said to her on so many occasions. _I love you._

"Shiro…" whispered Mariko. Of course, there was so much more she wanted to say to him. But the situation wouldn't allow for it. Instead, she opted to simply return his sentiment and mouthed the exact same words to her husband of 36 years.

Shiro decided that it was time to let his daughter go. He pulled back slightly and then gently kissed her forehead. As he took a step back, he looked directly into Sakura's eyes and said, "I love you so much. Always remember that."

"I-I love you…Papa," she said as her voice trembled.

He lightly cupped her cheek with one hand and said, "Remember, the village is going to need your help with healing all the injured when this is all over."

Sakura merely nodded her head slowly.

"Okay, now get down into the shelter and don't come out until tomorrow."

Mariko had once again disappeared from view as she climbed down the ladder into the emergency shelter intended to weather hurricanes. As she reached the bottom, she felt the ladder mildly shake and looked up to see that Sakura had started to descend. She changed the direction of her gaze and searched the ground for the lantern that Shiro had mentioned. Locating it without difficulty, she took the box of matches that were lying beside it and then proceeded to ignite the wick.

When Shiro saw that Sakura had reached the bottom, he noticed that his wife had the lantern and had managed to light it. Satisfied that they would not be floundering around in the darkness, he lowered the floor panel to cover the opening. With an audible clunk, the panel was back in place and the floor was whole again.

Once again, the closet was simply a small storage space with various household items placed on wall shelving and a broom propped up in the right back corner. It would be enough to fool those that just gave the closet a fleeting glance. He hoped a fleeting glance is all the bandits would afford once they saw nothing of interest.

After he checked to ensure that the light from the lantern was not spilling out from the seams of the floor panel, he closed the closet door and turned to meet his fate.

* * *

><p>Sakura listened as the sound of her father's foot steps faded into silence. With a sigh, she lowered herself and sat on the cold surface of whatever it was that made up the ground of the shelter. The twenty-year-old shrine maiden brought her knees up to her chest and silently prayed for her father's safe return.<p>

Sakura watched as Mariko set the lantern down in front them and then felt an arm come around her shoulders as her mother snuggled beside her. She stared into the flickering light of the lantern, content for the moment to be mesmerized by its faint glow. No words were spoken for several long moments. Finally, Sakura broke the silence. "Mom?"

"Yes dear?"

Sakura really didn't want to ask the question that was on her mind. She really didn't want to vocalize it for fear of the answer she might receive. However, she asked anyway – or at least tried to. "Do you…" she trailed off.

"What is it honey?" Mariko knew what her daughter wanted to ask. Truthfully, she didn't know the answer. But Kiyoraka Mariko knew what answer she would give to her only child.

"Do you think Papa…will be…alright?"

Without hesitation Mariko answered, "Of course he will be. He is a head priest to a holy shrine in Fire Country. Those bandits wouldn't dare to bring _that kind_ of bad karma upon themselves."

Technically Mariko lied. Those that knew Mariko well knew that she made it a habit to not lie – at all. Such was the way of enlightened spirituality. However, Mariko knew this was a case where she could make an exception and she figured Sakura would forgive her. She was also aware that Sakura was simply looking for reassurance. In that regard, the lie benefited both of them.

Sakura, for her part, was grateful to her mother for saying what she wanted to hear. She had hoped hearing something like that would quell her desire to go and search for her father. It did, if even a little.

Nevertheless, she still felt as though her father would need her help. It was odd. Sakura was fully cognizant there was really nothing she could do in a confrontation. Yet, deep down something tugged at the back of her mind. Something that told her she really wouldn't know unless she tried.

Could it have something to do with what happened three years ago? The "Divine Intervention" is what everyone in the village had dubbed the incident. Could she do something like that again? An image of a glowing green light emanating from her hand flashed through her mind. _Perhaps it's all related to those dreams?_

"Sakura?"

Startled out of her reverie, she sheepishly looked over at her mother and saw concern written all over her face.

"You've been so quiet since I spoke, I wasn't sure you heard what I said."

"Oh – yeah…sorry," she apologized. "I hope you're right Mom. But I still can't help worrying though."

Mariko leaned her head on her daughter's shoulder and whispered, "Me too dear…me too."

"Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you. You know that right?"

Mariko lifted her head and placed a soft kiss on the side of her daughter's head. "I know…but it's nice to hear," she said as she once again placed her head on Sakura's shoulder. "I love you too, my cherry blossom."

* * *

><p>Three bandits stood in the courtyard of the shrine discussing their next course of action. One of them did not look happy. That particular one voiced his frustration, "What do you mean you can't find anyone? Someone <em>has<em> to be here. There should be a priest or something. Go back and look again!"

The shortest of the three complained, "But Kenji, we've already checked!"

"I don't care. Go. Check. Again. NOW!"

Before either of Kenji's two comrades could object further, a voiced called out to them.

"There is no need to look further. I am the head priest of this shrine," calmly stated Kiyoraka Shiro.

The three bandits brought their attention on the figure that stood just at the entrance to the shrine. He was clearly in his fifties, with graying hair that still had spots of red or brown. It was difficult to tell as the available light was dim against the blacken night sky. He also appeared to be wearing garments that were traditional to kannushi[Shinto Priest] found throughout the elemental lands.

Kenji gave the priest a sinister smile and approached slowly. He came to a stop several paces in front of older man. The bandit nodded his head slightly in a way that looked to be like an extremely lazy bow. "Thank you for saving us the trouble old man. Now where were you hiding?"

With a serene expression on his face, Shiro answered, "I was not hiding. The grounds of the shrine are quite large and I'm afraid that my body does not move as quickly as it once did. Now, what is it that you want? This _is_ a holy place. Unless you seek to atone for your past misdeeds, I must ask you to leave."

Kenji snorted. "Atone for our misdeeds?" he said incredulously. "We'd be here for a long time if that were the case. Why don't you just tell us were the other shrine maidens are and we'll consider leaving." As he said that, he signaled the other two bandits to flank both sides of the priest.

Although Shiro appeared calm, inwardly he tried to suppress a panic at the mention of shrine maidens. "The shrine is closed for the night. There are no miko[shrine maiden] on duty."

"Really now?" asked Kenji in amusement. "Well then, I'm sure you won't mind if we take a look around." He turned to address his comrade to the right. "Kenta – go search the shrine again." He then returned his focus to the priest with a look that was not promising. "Itsuki…"

Without warning, Shiro found himself restrained from behind by the shortest of the bandits. He felt a cold touch of steel as Itsuki drew a tantō to his neck. The priest watched with wide eyes as the bandit known as Kenji approached closer while cracking his knuckles.

"I'm going ask again, where are the shrine maidens?"

"I-I told you, there are none on duty."

His eyes narrowed, Kenji seemed to contemplate something. He made to turn around but suddenly lashed out with a punch to the priest's stomach.

Shiro would have doubled over breathless if not for being restrained from behind. Instead, he broke out into a few coughs and then panted to regain his breath as best he could.

After a few moments, Kenji again questioned him. "You'll make it a lot easier on yourself if you cooperate. Now, where are they?"

"Why are you after them?"

Both Kenji and Itsuki laughed outright at the absurdness of the question. Kenji smirked as he replied, "Let's just say we think they'll make amusing toys."

Shiro paled at the implications of that statement. Bile threatened to rise from his throat when thoughts flashed through his mind of his daughter experiencing slavery…and probable rape.

He forced the feeling down and with as much calm as he could he addressed Kenji evenly. "I'm definitely not going to tell you where the miko of this shrine live. You'll just have to check every part of this village."

Incensed at the lack of cooperation he was getting, Kenji again struck the priest in the stomach. Immediately after, he followed up with a backhand across Shiro's right cheek.

This time, the one restraining him allowed Shiro to drop to the ground. He tasted his blood that was slowly welling up in his mouth and quickly spat it out. With his teeth clenched, Shiro struggled to get up from his position of all fours. He then yelled out in pain, when he felt Kenji lash out with a kick to his ribs.

Kenji, for his part, greatly enjoyed seeing the priest writhe around in agony. If it were up to him, those that were weak deserved to be kneeling on the ground before him – or squirming on ground like worms. It was all the same to him.

The bandit examined his handy work for a moment longer before he spat on the face of his victim. "You know, I was giving you an opportunity to make things easier. We already know there are six shrine maidens that attend to this shrine. One of your fellow villagers gave up the piece of information quite quickly."

A frown formed on Kenji's face as he continued. "Once they realized what we were after though, the others suddenly became very stubborn." He gestured to the area around him. "We've pretty much been through every building in the village. Luckily, we have found four of your precious shrine maidens. Now we just want the other two."

In the midst of his agony, Shiro opened his eyes enough to see Kenji smirking as if to emphasize his pride at the knowledge of four innocent young women being captured. He wanted to shout out at the injustice of it but was prevented as he was still out of breath. Shiro's thoughts wandered to which of the shrine's female attendants were now in the hands of these heartless bastards.

A tiny amount of guilt crept up as he thanked Kami-sama that his Sakura was hidden safely away. He knew that the other shrine maidens were not deserving of what has happened. But as much as it shamed him, he was glad that the others were found instead of the one shrine maiden he called daughter.

Shiro was snapped out of his musing about his hidden daughter when heard Kenji speak up again.

"We know there are lots of places to hide so that's why I came here. Figured they might come to the one place they probably feel safest. You know – servants of Kami and all." Kenji cocked his head as he regarded the man at his feet. "You wouldn't happen to know any good hiding spots in the shrine would you, _kannushi-san_?" he asked mockingly.

"Go to hell," Shiro defiantly replied.

A deep bellowing laugh could be heard throughout the shrine's grounds as Kenji was obviously amused at the notion of a priest telling him to go to hell. In truth, he actually admired the guts this priest was showing. In the end though, he was weak and the weak were deserving of very little. The response that Kenji gave to the remark that amused him so was equally succinct.

"You first." He then commenced to kick the helpless priest.

"STOP IT!" a feminine voice cried out.

Kenji and Itsuki looked up in shock as a shrine maiden stood before them on the north side of the shrine. The shock then turned to satisfaction. One of their prizes was only a few paces away.

They took the opportunity to briefly admire the wholesome beauty. The girl could not have been older than twenty and was probably around 160cm tall with a petite build. Her shoulder length hair was dark and seemed to be a shade of purple, if the way the dim light from the surrounding lanterns reflecting on it is any indication. The pale blue eyes that stared at them in trepidation were filled with tears. She was dressed in a white kimono shirt with a red hakama – the traditional garb of a miko. The two bandits both unconsciously licked their lips with the thoughts of what kind of _fun_ they could have with this particular shrine maiden.

"P-Please…d-don't…hurt Kiyoraka-sama…a-anymore," stuttered the young girl.

Kenji slowly approached her. "Come here and we won't hurt the old geezer."

The girl retreated a few steps when she saw Kenji closing the distance between them. She cursed herself for coming out of her hiding spot even though she could not help it. Not when she could see Kiyoraka-sama being beaten to such an extent. Now she was unsure of what to do. Should she try to run?

As if he read her mind, Kenji warned, "Don't try to run. It'll only make things worse."

The distance between them decreased even more as the girl seemed to take the warning to heart. When he was but a few paces from reaching her, he lunged out, grabbed her arm and jerked her towards him.

Caught completely off guard, the girl stumbled around as Kenji positioned himself so that he stood with her arms locked behind her back. She ceased struggling as her arms felt like they might snap off.

"Please…you're hurting me." she whimpered out.

"As long as you don't struggle or try to run, I won't hurt you…" he paused and then added, "much." Kenji chuckled at his clever response and then proceeded to take in the scent of the female in his grasp. "Hmm, you smell really good."

"Hey Kenji, what do you say to having some fun with her before bringing her back?" Itsuki excitedly asked.

The girl's eyes widened when she realized what they were talking about. "N-No…please…" she begged.

Kenji grinned at what Itsuki was suggesting. He bent down a bit and whispered into her ear, "Shh…don't worry. You'll probably like it." As an afterthought, he added, "But not yet."

There was still work to be done and their orders were specific. The shrine maidens were to be captured unspoiled.

Itsuki sighed dejectedly when it appeared he would have wait to enjoy the spoils of this raid.

Shiro fought the urge to pass out as he struggled to position himself back on his hands and knees. Thankful for the reprieve, he tried to make sense of what just occurred. Someone called out and the beating stopped. The voice sounded like it belonged to a girl.

Although his vision was blurry, Shiro slowly looked up. His attention was drawn to the sight of a figure a short distance away. He shook his head slightly to clear the haze that muddled the image. The fog that plagued his vision began to lift and to his horror, the familiar red and white of a shrine maiden's garb came into focus. He directed his gaze to the face of the person that filled out those clothes. He gasped when he recognized who it was.

"Ami!" he cried out.

"Let her go!" Shiro demanded with a look of pure contempt directed at the person restraining her.

Ignoring the protests of his aching body, Shiro scrambled to his feet. Before he could do anything else, his right knee buckled from a kick he received from Itsuki. Situated on one knee, he again felt the sensation of a blade being pressed against his neck.

"No, please don't hurt him anymore," Ami squeaked out.

Kenji ignored her plea. "You lied old man. I hate it when people lie to me," he chided.

Shiro couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of that statement. "I didn't lie. I had no idea she was here. But even if I had known, there was no way I would tell the likes of you."

"Well that's too bad for you. Itsuki beat this man senseless until he tells you where the other one is hiding."

Itsuki slammed the butt of his tantō against the side of Shiro's head. He continued his assault by raining down kick after kick.

Ami twisted her head away from the gruesome site and openly wept. All she wanted to do was help Shiro but ended up making things worse. She didn't know what else to do.

Kenji took advantage of Ami's despair and began to bind her hands. He debated if knocking her unconscious would be necessary. After he finished with her hands, he struck the back of her neck deciding that it would be easier to bind her feet if she were unconscious.

He glanced over to Itsuki and the prone form of the priest. "Itsuki – that's enough. The stupid priest passed out." Kenji shook his head as Itsuki's over enthusiasm.

"What? Oh – shit, sorry," stammered Itsuki. "Uh, what do we do? He didn't saying anything about the other girl."

"It doesn't matter. Kenta should be back any second. If he hasn't found her, then we'll spread out and search the grounds. This girl didn't come from inside the shrine."

"What about him?" Itsuki asked, pointing to the unmoving Shiro. "Should I just kill him?"

Kenji considered that for a moment while he secured Ami's feet. He shook his head and said, "Nah – just tie him up for now. He may still prove useful if we can't find the last girl."

* * *

><p>Sakura stared at the spot on the ceiling that was the entryway back into the house. She kept hoping that it would open to reveal the smiling face of her father. However, she knew not a lot of time had passed since he left. It could not have been any more than ten or fifteen minutes. Yet to her, it felt more like several hours. She groaned in frustration.<p>

Mariko turned to examine her daughter's face. She could clearly see the worry etched into her features. "Sakura, please try not to think about it."

"I can't stop though." Sakura stood up and started to pace. "What if something's happened to him? What if he's been cap-"

"Sakura stop," interrupted Mariko. She rose from the ground, grasped Sakura's shoulders firmly, looked into her eyes and said, "You can not think those things, okay? Try to remain positive."

"I'm trying Mom," whispered Sakura. "I just have this feeling that…that he'll need me."

Mariko said nothing further. Instead, she simply pulled her precious daughter into a hug and offered comfort in a way only a mother could.

That was when they heard the sounds of footsteps. They pulled apart and listened intently as the footsteps became louder. Whoever it was seemed to be walking throughout the house. Both Sakura and Mariko realized that if it were Shiro, he would have come directly to them.

Mariko brought her index finger to her lips in a motion to keep quiet.

Sakura nodded her assent and lifted her head to follow the sounds. Her heart was beating rapidly as thoughts of what could have happened to her father began to plague her mind once again. She reached for her mother's hand and gave it a squeeze. _I'm scared_.

Mariko squeezed right back in response to Sakura's unvoiced message. _I am too._

Both women took an unconscious step back when they heard the sound of the closet door opening. They concentrated solely on the entryway – and waited. Neither of them thought to extinguish the lantern to prevent any light from attracting the attention of the intruder.

Fortunately, for the two Kiyoraka women Shiro had already made sure that would not happen. They let out a collective sigh of relief as the sounds of movement indicated that the person was walking away.

Shaken from the close encounter, Mariko dropped to her knees and clutched her chest with both hands. She watched Sakura slowly approach the ladder and craned in a gesture that suggested she was still listening for movement. After a moment, her daughter sat on one of the lower rungs and held her head in her hands.

"It looks like they left," muttered Sakura.

"Thankfully…" was her mother's response.

Sakura said nothing else. Her mind was preoccupied with her father's situation. One of the bandits obviously found their home behind the shrine. Did that mean they captured him? Whomever it was that walked through the house did not seem interested in looting. That meant they were searching for her and her mother.

_Papa...I hope you're okay._

It was then a muffled voice drew their attention.

Sakura and Mariko could barely hear it. But it was still loud enough to make out what was said.

"Come out miko-san! We know you're in there somewhere! We have the priest! We saw the pictures in the house so we know he's your dad or something! If you want him to live, you better come out!"

The blood in Sakura's veins ran cold. Without thinking, she scampered up the ladder to get to her father.

Only to be stopped halfway when her mother grabbed her foot.

"No Sakura! It's too dangerous," Mariko whispered loudly.

"I don't care!" Sakura frantically yelled.

"Please…don't go out there. Your father wanted to keep you safe," replied Mariko as tears formed in her eyes.

"Mom let me go! I have to go to Papa. He needs me…I know it!"

"No! I won't let you go. I love you too much to let anything happen to you. Think about what your father would want. Think about how I feel. Please…" begged Sakura's mother.

Deflated at her mother's reasoning and shamed she was only thinking of her father, Sakura stopped resisting and took a tentative step down.

"If you're not out here in the next minute, the old man dies!"

The disembodied warning shocked Sakura out of her shame and caused her to be overwhelmed with panic. She gave her mother a regretful look and softly said, "I-I'm sorry Mom."

"No Sakura!" Mariko futilely called out as her daughter broke free of her hold and scaled the ladder desperately. She numbly watched her only child thrust open the floor panel covering the entryway and disappeared from view.

Consumed in her reckless endeavor to save her father, Sakura sprinted through the house and flew out the front door. She then gasped at the scene before her. Several meters away stood a tall figure covered in ratty leather armor. At his feet, were the prone forms of her father…and _Ami_?

Kenji smirked to himself that his plan succeeded. He watched as the missing shrine maiden appeared from the front door of the house and ran towards him – or rather to her father. Much to his amusement, he noted that the girl was quite oblivious to him. He also noted that the girl was quite attractive. As she approached, he studied her attributes. The girl had long red hair that fluttered as she ran, beautiful green eyes that were slightly marred by her tears, and stunning facial features that, despite the anguished look, would make even the sexiest geisha envious.

Sakura skidded to a halt, dropped to her knees, and gently rolled her father onto his back. To her relief he was breathing. She then noticed all the bruising on his face and the ragged state of his clothes. Not knowing how serious his injuries were, she drew upon her modest medical training and started to diagnose his condition.

Seconds after she started checking her father, Sakura found herself yanked up into the meaty arms of his captor. Not fully aware of her predicament, she fought to free herself and cried out at being prevented from treating her father. "Let go! I have to treat him!"

"Girl…he should be the least of your concerns," Kenji said dangerously.

It suddenly dawned on her that she was in serious trouble. Distressed with the peril she and her loved ones faced, she gave in to despair and sobbed inconsolably.

"Let go of my daughter!"

Kenji spun them around to face the source of the inane demand. A few meters away, he saw a much older woman dressed in a plain yukata. She held a flimsy looking broom in front of her and stood in, what he would describe as, an amateurish fighting stance.

Terrified of the danger her mother has placed herself in, Sakura yelled, "Mom go! Run! Get away!" She then noticed a second bandit rapidly closing in on Mariko. "Look out Mom!" she tried to warn. But it was too late.

In their haste to reach their loved ones, both women failed to notice the bandit that stood off to the side. It was, of course, understandable given the circumstances. It was also unfortunate – especially for the older of the two women.

Sakura witnessed her mother easily disarmed and quickly restrained. She heard her mother whimper when a blade flashed out and placed against her throat. Her mother's gaze locked with her own and Sakura's heart shattered at the frightened and defeated look she saw.

"Mom huh? She should have stayed hidden. You're the only one we wanted. Oh well…" sighed Kenji.

"Hey Kenji…I checked the north end of the – Oh! Ha, looks like you've got them," Kenta laughed as he strode up to his team leader.

"Yeah, no thanks to you," Kenji spat. "Itsuki and I have been doing all the work."

Kenta frowned at the criticism. "Hey man, I was doing exactly what you told me to do. 'Check the temple Kenta'. 'Look on the north end Kenta'. At least we've got both of them."

"Yeah, yeah…whatever." Kenji then gestured towards Shiro, "Look, just _take care_ of the geezer there."

At the proclamation, Sakura's head shot up. She looked over her shoulder into the dark eyes of Kenji and pleaded, "Please don't. Y-You've got me…just leave him alone."

Kenji ignored her and nodded toward Kenta. "Do it."

Before Sakura could continue to appeal her case, Kenta drew his tantō and in a swift motion, plunged it into the belly of Kiyoraka Shiro.

"No!" roared Sakura and Mariko.

Kenji shook his head in disgust. "My god…can't you do anything right? Such a huge unmoving target and you choose his belly?"

Mariko wept hysterically at the site of her murdered husband. She knew it would soon be her turn, yet she did not care. The only thing she felt was grief. The man she had loved for over thirty-five years was gone. The pain she felt – the only thing that came close to it was when she lost her first child. At the thought, Mariko took some solace. _Shiro my love, soon we'll both be able to see little Rei-chan again._

Sakura was strangely quiet after her initial outburst. She stood perfectly still and simply stared at the wound on her father. All she saw was how the blood poured out. How it spilled onto the ground and stained the stone walkway. Sakura did not hear the anguished cries of her mother. Nor did she hear the bandit named Kenta defend his choice of stabbing his target in the gut. All she focused on was the blood and its rich deep color. Red…all she saw was red.

"Just shut up Kenta! Itsuki, would you please show this useless piece of shit how it's done?"

That was when Sakura snapped.

With inhuman strength, she tossed a very surprised Kenji over her shoulder. A befuddled Kenta could only yelp in surprise as Kenji's form smashed into him.

Itsuki was shocked at what he just witnessed. As Kenji and Kenta fell into pile of tangled limbs, he futilely tried to call out them. However, Itsuki really should have focused on the cause rather than the result.

The next thing he knew, the girl who was several meters away a mere moment ago, now stood beside him. Before he could process what was happening, Itsuki felt his arm jerk and with a sickening snap, his wrist broke. Racked with pain, he barely noticed the clang that indicated he was no longer armed. Then the next _and last_ thing he felt was a fist connecting with his head.

Mariko was confused. She looked around and tried to make sense of what she just saw. Her daughter had some how freed her and it happened in a blink of an eye. She could not fathom how her little Sakura-chan moved with such speed. She could not understand how her petite daughter disabled that man. A man twice her size. Her confusion was momentarily forgotten when her gaze fell upon the man in question. Seeing what remained of the man's head, Mariko emptied the contents of her stomach.

With a groan, Kenta managed to push his annoying team leader off him. He slowly rose to his feet and looked around. The blood drained from his face when he caught site of Sakura standing over what was left of Itsuki.

"You bitch!" muttered Kenta in disgust.

This aroused Kenji's attention from where he lay and turned his head in the direction that Kenta was looking. To his horror, he saw Itsuki dead with his head completely caved in.

Sakura twisted towards Kenta and recognition set in. He was the person that killed her father. Enraged, she launched herself at him with dizzying speed.

Kenta reacted by flinging an old rusty kunai at the crazed girl. Unfortunately, Kenji was correct – he really was useless. The kunai missed its target and barely grazed Sakura's ribs.

Sakura felt a slight prickling sensation on her side but it did little to slow her down. She noticed that Kenta was fumbling with his broadsword in an effort to mount some sort of defense. She dodged the horizontal swing of his sword and then drove her fist into his stomach.

As Kenta crashed _through_ the stone wall of the grounds, Kenji charged at Sakura with his sword drawn and swiped at her head. Shrine maiden or no, she was dangerous and Kenji decided she was not worth dying over.

Sakura saw the attack from the corner of her eye and dove into a roll.

Pressing his advantage, Kenji lashed out with a well-timed front kick to her face. To his satisfaction, her head snapped back from the force of the blow and propelled her half a meter backward.

Sakura landed with a thud but shrugged it off and scrambled to her feet. Half way through the motion, she pushed off into sideways shoulder roll to avoid a downward swing from Kenji's sword.

Sakura straightened out of the roll but relative to Kenji's position, her back was exposed. Kenji took advantage and slashed her back with a backswing. He smirked as she cried out and stumbled forward. The wound looked shallow but it had to have been painful. Confident that the wound he inflicted would slow her down, he continued his assault.

Bruised and bloodied, Sakura regained her footing and quickly turned to face her opponent. She cursed when she saw he was already on the move with a front thrust aimed at her heart. Managing to barely side step the attack, she grabbed Kenji's extended arm, yanked him towards her and delivered a right cross to his jaw.

Kenji's head whipped around and the momentum carried him a few paces away from Sakura. He knew he was lucky that he only felt dazed. If she still had the level of power that she used against Kenta, he would have been dead. After collecting his thoughts, he lifted himself off the ground, readied his sword and attacked again.

Sakura was thankful for the few moments to catch her breath after she punched him. She doubted she would have been able to dodge Kenji's subsequent attack otherwise. As she kept her distance and repeatedly evaded Kenji's sword strikes, she wondered where all her energy had gone. Her movements had slowed significantly and she was tired. She knew it was only a matter of time before she received a fatal blow.

"Just keep still!" shouted Kenji in frustration.

Broken out of her reverie, Sakura didn't bother to respond as she concentrated on avoiding another swipe at her head. She managed to avoid Kenji's sword but failed to see the round kick that followed. Struck on the side of the head, Sakura plunged to the ground.

The blow to the head was devastating as she struggled to keep conscious. Slowly, she tried to get to her feet but most of her strength was gone and she could hardly move. By the time she located Kenji, she knew it was too late. He was already upon her with his sword raised, ready to deliver the final blow.

As Kenji looked down on the defeated girl, thoughts of his orders flashed through his mind. He paused for a moment and considered sparing her.

The delay proved to be costly as he suddenly found a tantō shoved into his gut.

Kenji clinched his teeth and grunted out in pain. He staggered a few steps while he slowly pulled the dagger from his stomach. He quickly studied the wound and let out a relieved sigh. Incredibly, the wound was not immediately life threatening. He would survive as long as it was treated promptly. Before he lost too much blood, he needed to end this soon.

Kenji discarded the tantō in order to have a free hand to cover his wound. He was surprised as he looked over his shoulder to identify the culprit. He glared at Mariko with murderous intent and stalked toward her retreating form.

Mariko was confused and scared. Her moment of defiance did not go according to plan. The man walking toward her was supposed to die after she stabbed him. The decision to target the stomach was obviously a mistake and she cursed her foolishness. But she was desperate to get to him in time to save Sakura and only had a split second to act.

"Stupid bitch…Die!" he screamed as he thrust his sword toward her.

For Sakura, time slowed as she watched Kenji bring his arm back in preparation for the forward motion of the thrust. Fueled with desperation to save her mother, she grabbed the dagger her mother had used to attack Kenji just moments before, rushed to her feet, and charged at the man.

Sensing movement behind him, Kenji pivoted around to meet any oncoming attack. He saw Sakura's clumsy approach, smiled to himself, and directed the point of his sword into her gut. As he felt his sword puncture her abdomen, the smile he briefly wore turned to shock as a flash of steel caught his attention.

He cursed himself for essentially handing the mysterious young girl a weapon before feeling the dagger plunge directly into the center of his chest. Ironically, Kenji's last thought as his he took his dying breath was that girl could teach Kenta a thing or two about where to stab someone.

Sakura did not expect him to turn around like that and could not react fast enough to avoid the sword. Although she realized that this would not end well for her, Sakura was determined to remove the threat to her mother and followed through with the downward strike of the dagger she held. A searing pain shot forth from her stomach.

Attempting to ignore the pain, she focused on her target and to her relief Sakura saw that her aim struck true. The man named Kenji was already falling backwards and by the time he hit the ground, he was breathing no more.

Knowing that her mother was no longer in immediate danger, the flow of adrenaline subsided and she dropped to knees in exhaustion. Sakura cried out in agony as the action jarred the sword and aggravated the wound. She looked down to examine the broadsword that remained imbedded in stomach.

The image of a sword buried into her body was almost surreal. The kimono top was fast becoming as red as her hakama. The increasing pain of being impaled spread throughout her body as her miko attire soaked the blood that flowed from her wounds.. Despite fighting the onslaught of both mental and physical fatigue, she knew that trying to remove the sword herself would be ill advised. Sakura simply framed both of her hands around the entry point of the wound to try to stem the loss of blood.

"Sakura! Oh god…Sakura…honey…"

Sakura just noticed that her mother was kneeling beside her and had her arms wrapped around her shoulders and torso. She turned to face the older woman and gave her a weak smile. Sakura wanted to tell her mother that she was glad she was all right but was prevented with a series of coughing fits. Thankful that her mother was holding her, Sakura fell limp as what little strength she had finally left her.

"Sakura…please…I can't lose you too," Mariko sobbed.

"Mom, I-I'm…s-sorry," Sakura barely managed to whisper.

Sakura for her part, found it more and more difficult to stay awake. She knew though that she would probably not wake up this time around. Strangely, she found herself not frightened with the prospect of dying.

Instead, there was disappointment. But why? Surely she had lived a good albeit, short life. Perhaps it was because she was robbed of the chance to experience the joys of falling in love, being a mother, and later a grandmother. Yes, that was it. Disappointment because she still had so much to live for. Yet, why did it feel like it was more than that? It was there – just in the back of her mind. There was something important she needed to do.

Before Sakura could ponder those thoughts further, Mariko began to call out, "Sakura stay with me! Don't leave me…please."

The younger woman felt her mother gently rock back and forth while cradling her, begging her not to die. There was some small bit of comfort that eased over Sakura. Being in the arms of a loved one was certainly not a terrible way to pass on. With a shaky breath, Sakura prepared what she thought were to be her last words.

"Mom…I'll… always be…with you."

"No! Don't talk like that. I won't lose you too. Fight Sakura…please. I know you can fight. You're stronger than this," Mariko frantically countered.

"So tired…I'm sorry…love you so much…"

Mariko squeezed her eyes shut futilely attempting to stop her tears. She held her daughter tighter to her body and responded the only way a mother could to such a statement. "I love you too."

The older woman could not believe the unfairness of it all. She had already lost one child years ago, her husband a few minutes ago, and now is about to lose her remaining child. Was Kami-sama punishing her? How could her family – a family of a head priest – be subjected to this?

Lulled by the rocking motion from her mother, Sakura was about to succumb to the pull of unconsciousness. That was when she felt a presence. No, it was more than one. Several that seemed to be getting closer. They pulsed with a feeling that she was unable to describe yet somehow found it to be familiar.

"Someone's coming," she whispered.

Mariko looked up to see if anyone was approaching. Her fear was that more bandits were going to appear. Surveying the surrounding area, she saw nothing but the three bodies of the bandits and the prone forms of her husband and Ami.

Suddenly, four figures landed in front of her. Startled, she shut her eyes thinking they were bandits there to finish the job. For the second time that night, Mariko resigned herself to the fate that she would not live to see the morning. At least she would not be left alone she mused.

"Hana! This one needs immediate medical attention!"

Shocked at what she just heard, Mariko opened her eyes to see a young man crouched in front of her. He was not dressed as the bandits were, but instead was dressed in some dark attire with a greenish vest and a headband with an engraved symbol on it.

"It's okay. We are here to help. We're Konoha Shinobi," the young man explained.

Upon hearing those words uttered, Sakura opened her eyes to locate the source. A slightly blurred image of a man met her. He stood up to make room for his female companion who replaced his position and now knelt before them. Sakura tried to focus on the woman's face but her vision was impaired and her eyelids felt so heavy.

"What are you doing?" questioned Mariko as she observed a green glow emanate from the hands of the strange woman.

The female shinobi looked up to the older woman and said, "I'm a medical ninja. My name is Shiranui Hana. I'm performing a diagnostic jutsu to see how bad the wounds are."

Hope began to grow within Mariko's heart. "Will my daughter live?"

"I'll do my best to save her," answered Hana in an attempt reassure her patient's mother. Inwardly, she was not sure about the girl's chances. The wounds were very serious and there was a lot of blood that was lost. In fact, Hana was surprised that the girl was still alive.

"You hear that Sakura? Just hang on okay?" pleaded Mariko.

Sakura merely nodded her head. Despite wanting to comply with her mother's request however, her eyes began to close. She just felt so tired and she just wanted the pain to go away. She was vaguely aware of her mother telling her not to give up but there was no more strength left in her.

Curiously, as the world around her began to darken, Sakura could faintly hear another voice overlap her mother's. It was a male's voice – one that sounded familiar and comforting. It sounded so close, as if the person was next to her whispering.

_"Sakura-chan…just hold on…"_

She knew that voice. The person's name was somewhere in the recesses of her mind. Then for a brief moment, clarity dawned on her. However, the moment passed and just as the last vestiges of consciousness slipped away, she whispered a response to the disembodied voice.

_"I'm sorry…Naruto."_


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to all to those who read the first chapter. I hope you enjoy the second.

Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of _Kishimoto Masashi_.

* * *

><p>Chapter 2<p>

The dream was one that occurred from time to time - usually around the spring equinox. Of course, he understood the reason for its consistency at the same time every year. Long ago, he realized it was a reminder that there was something he needed to do as the season of rebirth began anew.

It always started out pleasantly. A dream of an event that was filled celebration and happiness. An event he shared with his friends and loved ones. It was something that was the culmination of all his hard work and perseverance. It was when he achieved his goal of becoming Hokage.

In the dream, he stood at the top of the Hokage tower and over looked the village. There were a multitude of faces below him as the entirety of the village had gathered to witness his coronation. Behind him, he felt the love and support of his friends and adopted family.

He had just made his pledge to the people gathered to protect Konoha and proclaimed that he was the Rokudaime Hokage. The deafening sound of cheers assaulted his senses as the village of Konoha enthusiastically approved of their new leader.

He allowed himself to bask in the glow of his accomplishment a moment longer and then turned to address those that stood behind him. The first that approached him was his predecessor – the Godaime Hokage, Senju Tsunade.

A heartfelt embrace was shared between the two. Tsunade had been looking forward to this day ever since the young man in her arms helped her overcome the darkness in her heart. The newly appointed Hokage pulled back slightly, looked into her eyes, expressed that he could not have achieved this without her, and sincerely thanked the woman whom he came to see as a mother figure.

He turned to approach the group of shinobi present and was shocked to see each of them on one knee in a reverent bow before him.

In unison, they chanted, "Hokage-sama".

The expression on his face was one of embarrassment and awkwardness. These were his friends. People he considered his family. The reverence displayed before him did not seem right. With a nervous chuckle, he scratched the back of his head with one hand and waved them off with the other. The group heeded his mumbling that there was no need for formality and stood up.

They each began to give the new Hokage congratulations unique to themselves.

A green clad pair with matching bowled haircuts and fuzzy eyebrows exclaimed cries that his "fires of youth burned brightly".

He received a timid hug from a normally shy and reserved young woman who told him that she always believed he would achieve his dream.

A loud boisterous one simply slapped him in the back and playfully punched him in the arm with sentiments of disbelief at the new hierarchy between them.

Murmurs of "troublesome" were heard as a shadow jutsu broke up the escalating argument of who was the stronger between the aforementioned boisterous one and the even more rambunctious Hokage.

Laughter rang out from everyone present as the antics of one Uzumaki Naruto reminded all that regardless of the position of power he held, he was still the same person at heart. One by one, those that have been touched by the Naruto's selflessness and determination came up to express their pride in what he had accomplished. To his immense pleasure, Naruto mused that his surrogate family had grown over the years.

He was surrounded by the acceptance he so longed for when he was but a boy. It took some time for him to make his way through the group but that did not matter. Time spent with his loved ones was what he cherished and he would not neglect any of them.

However, there was one person in particular he knew would not be present. The one person whom he wished above all could partake in the celebration. Someone with whom he so dearly wanted to share this accomplishment. Naruto knew _she_ would not be there no matter much he wished for it. It was a realization that made the day bittersweet.

He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind and the dull ache in his heart regressed.

Naruto distracted himself with the sight of Yamanaka Ino pummeling Konohamaru into the ground for attempting to get his attention with an **Oiroke no Jutsu**[Sexy Technique]. His laughter and distraction was brief however, as the scene reminded him of a similar one, played out years earlier in front of Ichiraku Ramen. Once again, his thoughts turned melancholic and his heart yearned to see _her_ once again – if only for a second.

_"I see he's still using that stupid jutsu."_

Naruto spun around and took in the sight of the person he was just longing to see.

She was as beautiful as he remembered. Her pink hair radiated in the spring sun as vibrantly as the cherry blossoms that were in bloom. It nicely contrasted her creamy white skin and made her appear even fairer. Expressive jade eyes looked upon him as a soft smile danced on her face.

She stood not even a meter away slightly bent forward at the waist with her hands clasped behind her back. She tilted her head to the side and looked at him appreciatively.

_"Not bad Naruto. You look very becoming in those robes."_

Finally, he broke out of his daze and responded to someone that he had not spoken to in a very long time.

_"S-Sakura? What are you doing here?"_

A small frown graced her features as she said, _"What do you mean? My best friend becomes Hokage and I can't come to congratulate him?"_

_ "N-no, that's not what I meant," _began Naruto.

_"Then what did you mean then? Do you want me to leave?"_

_ "No!" _Naruto shouted. _"Please stay. You don't have to leave. Please…I'm glad that you're here. It's just that..."_

_ "Just that what?"_

Naruto averted his gaze.

He was unsure how to answer, afraid that what he said next could make her disappear.

His attention was drawn back to Sakura as she slowly stepped towards him. It was then he noticed the others were oblivious to her presence. The gesturing between those present indicated lively conversations but none of their voices could be heard. The only thing he heard was his own heart beat as it pounded in his chest.

_"Naruto, what's wrong?"_ questioned Sakura as she stepped closer to him.

With a sigh, Naruto finally answered, _"Sakura-chan…you're not supposed to be here. You…weren't around when I became Hokage."_

Sakura again tilted her head, this time in curiosity. Under different circumstances, Naruto would have thought that she looked adorable. Instead, he braced himself for the inevitable question she would ask.

_"Where was I?"_

_ "You died. About five years ago," _Naruto solemnly said while avoiding her gaze.

He couldn't bare to see her expression after a statement like that. Or perhaps it was his expression he was trying to hide.

_"Naruto look at me."_

Unable to ever deny her wishes, he looked up with unshed tears. He saw a small smile on her face that radiated so much love - yet was tainted with sadness.

_"Naruto, it's okay."_

_ "No it's not. You being gone is not okay. I-I miss you. It's been hard…without you."_

_ "But you did it Naruto. You achieved your dream. I'm so happy for you," _Sakura said in an attempt to lighten the mood.

It appeared to have worked as Naruto smiled and wiped away a stray tear. _"Thanks Sakura-chan."_

She reached towards him to smooth out a wrinkle on his Hokage robe but just before she made contact, she pulled back and clasped her hands to her chest. There was a slight blush on her cheeks as she fought the embarrassment behind such a gesture.

She looked down shyly and said, _"You do look good Naruto. That robe suits you."_

Sakura chanced a look at Naruto's reaction and found that he wore a genuine smile. But before Naruto could respond to the compliment, Sakura took step back and twisted around so that she faced away from him.

_"Sakura-chan? What's wrong?"_

_"I have to go now Naruto."_

_ "No wait! Please stay a little longer," _he begged.

He desperately tried to think of a reason to convince her to stay and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

_"There's going to be ramen! You have to stay for the ramen. Please? For me?"_

He heard her giggle at the silly reason he gave.

_"I'm glad that some things stay the same. Please don't ever change Naruto."_

At that, Sakura began walking away. With each step she took, her form faded.

Naruto tried to call out to her in order to make a last plea to stay with him a little while longer.

Just a little while – that's all that he asked for.

But each time he tried to speak, nothing came out. Repeatedly he tried with the same result. Tears flowed down his face, partly out of frustration for the sudden muteness, but mostly out of despair. He even tried to run after her but to his dismay, his legs were paralyzed.

He could only look on helplessly as her form continued to fade.

Just before completely vanishing, Sakura turned to look over her shoulder and caught Naruto's gaze.

_"Please remember me,"_ she softly requested.

Defeated, all he could do was nod his head.

Sakura gave him a pained smile and vanished completely.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself. That was when he faintly heard her voice once again.

_"I'm sorry…Naruto."_

* * *

><p>He opened his eyes the sight of a ceiling. This was not the top of the Hokage tower. He was lying in a bed.<p>

Still a little disoriented from his dream, he surveyed his surroundings. It was a fair sized bedroom but one that was not immediately familiar. Seeing the modest décor, faint beige color of the walls, and the vase of desert lilies on the desk across from the bed, he remembered that he was in one of the guest rooms of Gaara's manor.

Naruto let out a deep sigh, ran a hand through his unruly blond hair, and looked out the window to his right. From the look of the sky and the crisp bite of the dry desert air, he figured it was just after dawn.

He took a moment to appreciate the tranquil morning sky and collected his thoughts.

That particular dream was always disconcerting, but more so this time around. _The dream_ tended to be the same each time he had it, with small minute variations. Generally, it started pleasant and ended in heartache.

However, this time the last part was slightly different. After Sakura disappeared, that usually would be the end of it and he would wake up. This was the first time she said something after fading away and it bugged him. It was not so much the variation but the specific words that left him haunted. She uttered the same exact words to him before she died.

The day Sakura was lost to him was one he rarely thought about, let alone dream about. Although granted, the dream he just had was not about how she died. It was just strange that it ended in the way that it did. In all the time _the dream_ has reoccurred, not once did it ever spin off to anything related to the worst day of his life.

Despite the sense of loss he always felt after having that particular dream, it was never accompanied with bitterness. He saw it as a way for him to see her again and the only way to share with her the day he became Hokage. Hence, he accepted _the dream_ for what it was - a remembrance of the woman he loved during a time that was very dear to him.

Yet, this time it was different. It made sense that dreaming of dead would-be lovers left him a little disturbed. Normally, he would shake it off after a few moments from waking up. This time though, he felt troubled. He reasoned that it was because it reminded him of the day she died. Naturally, he would be troubled. But should he feel this disconcerted?

As if to rid himself of those thoughts, he shook his head. With a sigh, he discarded the thin blanket covering him, and rose out of bed. He glanced at the calendar on the desk and noted the date. March 21st.

Naruto made his way to the connecting bathroom and turned on the sink's cold water. He allowed the water to run a bit and examined his features in the mirror.

His blue eyes focused on his cheeks where his trademark whiskers were still visible, if slightly faded from the time he was a teenager. His vision shifted to the golden hair that cascaded over his forehead.

It threatened to cover his eyes so it would soon need to be trimmed. Naruto turned his head to examine the sides and ensured that the lengths were still acceptable. He ran a hand through his blond locks to feel the back of his head to gauge whether the rear would also soon require a trim. He preferred to keep his hair a little longer in the front and maintained the rest relatively short.

Satisfied that he could hold off from a trim for the time being, he cupped his hands together under the tap and splashed the cool water on his face to drive off any remnants of sleep. After he dried off his face, the blond once again studied the image reflected in the mirror.

He had not really changed since his time as a Genin. Sure his face had slimmed, the hair in front of his forehead was a little longer, and his whiskers were not as pronounced but that was about it. Save for the whisker like marks on his cheeks, his skin complexion was flawless. Overall, Naruto looked only to be in his early to mid twenties.

_Not bad for an old man_.

Naruto ran one hand across one cheek down to his chin and across to the other. He smirked at the futility of the action. There was no stubble. There never was.

Curiously, he did not have any facial hair. The whiskers did not count, as they were just marks on his skin. "Gifts" from having the Kyuubi no Kitsune sealed within him. He often wondered if his lack of facial hair was due to his tenant or if it was just some random oddity about him.

The absurdity of those thoughts made him chuckle.

There were other "gifts" bestowed upon him from the sealed demon fox. Near limitless chakra, slightly enhanced senses, and accelerated healing.

His eyes dimmed at the last thought.

When he had discovered the reason for his ability to heal quickly, Naruto thought that was perhaps the best side effect of being the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki – if there were such a thing.

The enhanced senses were only marginally better than that of a well-trained shinobi and nowhere near the level of those who specialized in tracking.

The over abundant levels of chakra were a double-edged sword. While his stamina was uncanny and allowed him to outlast his opponents, it severely hampered his overall control. It posed a pretty big challenge early on in his ninja career.

The accelerated healing seemed to give Naruto the most amount of benefit with the least amount of draw back. Or so he thought.

The Kyuubi's chakra aided and sped up the natural cell-division cycle, which enabled faster healing. However, it was feared that repeated cycles of large-scale physical trauma and accelerated recovery would shorten his life span significantly. Cells simply were limited with how many times they can divide and replicate.

Of course, even with this draw back, the healing factor was easily something that saved Naruto's life time and again. Injuries were an unavoidable part of shinobi life. A few years off his life span were a small price to pay to have survived some lethal injuries.

It was an acceptable trade off.

Except the opposite occurred. His life span was not shortened. It was in fact extended – indefinitely.

The demonic chakra not only affected the speed of his cellular mitosis but also regenerated his cells. The limitations to how many times his cells could divide and replicate were removed. As a result, Naruto stopped aging.

It only became apparent when everyone among his generation were getting into their forties. Whereas his peers had the odd grey hair, wrinkle around an eye, and stiffer joints, Naruto did not look a day older than twenty-five.

The regenerative properties of the Kyuubi's chakra became a curse. Naruto was destined to outlive those he loved. He would be alone.

The sense of loss he felt from the dream was not just from missing Sakura. All of his friends from that time of his life were gone and he deeply missed them. The bonds that he forged with them were among his first and he would never forget them.

Naruto took a deep breath and exhaled the tension that crept up from his reverie. Turning away from the mirror image that reminded him of his curse, he discarded his boxers and stepped into the shower. He turned on the water and willed it to wash away the melancholy that permeated his mind.

* * *

><p>"Whatever foolishness you are planning, I suggest that you stop."<p>

"Aww…come on Gaara," Naruto whined. "It was going to be really funny."

"Only for yourself I'm sure," replied Gaara.

"Bah! You're no fun."

From his meditative position, Gaara looked over his shoulder and saw Naruto crouched over a scroll on the ground a few meters behind him. He noted that his blond friend was dressed casually in attire that had too much orange for his tastes.

Naruto wore a loose fitting yakuta that was mainly a dull orange, save for the black around the edges, mid chest area, and shoulders. A smaller than usual black obi held the yakuta closed. However, it was worn loose enough to show a good portion of his torso covered in a form fitting black mesh shirt underneath.

The orange clad ninja also seemed to be wearing loose fitting pants underneath the yakuta. Gaara could see that they were tapered near his ankles with black mesh wrap. A pair of orange geta sandals rounded out the outfit that was uniquely Naruto.

As Naruto mumbled to himself at the injustice of stopping a good prank, he started to put away the scroll, ink, and brush spread out in front of him. Only Uzumaki Naruto would turn the art of Fuuinjutsu into a tool for pranks.

He shoved the scroll into the tan duffel bag with a sheathed sword strapped to it. Afterward, the blond looked up and saw that Gaara rose from his meditative posture. The glare Naruto received from his friend did not bode well.

"The prank was intended for me," he accused the blond.

Frantically waving his arms in front of him, Naruto denied the accusation.

"N-no way! I learned my lesson the last time. You know how long it took me to get the sand out of my ears? And how the hell did you get sand all the way up my as-"

"Enough!" interrupted Gaara. "Let's just say it was my variation of your 'Thousand years of pain' technique."

"What? That was way worse than the 'Thousand years of pain'."

"Keep that in ind as you explain who you were targeting."

Naruto gave Gaara a nervous grin and scratched the back of his head.

The action was one that did nothing to alleviate guilt in Gaara's eyes.

"I was just coming up to see you and then I suddenly got inspired for a prank. It wasn't for you, really."

To emphasize his point, the blond adopted the most innocent expression he could muster. Surprisingly, it looked quite genuine.

_Looked_ was the operative word, however.

"And you just happened to get this inspiration upon seeing that I was meditating and had my back to the entryway?" questioned an incredulous Gaara.

"If I were trying to prank you, don't you think I would at least been a bit more methodical? Setting up a prank while you were clearly just meditating only a few meters away? Please, give me a little more credit than that. I'm not that dense."

The would-be victim scrutinized Naruto for a moment longer and considered his words. It was true that Naruto was devastatingly effective when it came to pranks. It also did not seem like he was trying to mask his presence. It would have been a foolish move if he was truly targeting a shinobi of Gaara's caliber.

The more Gaara considered it, the more unlikely it was that he was the intended victim. He would spare his friend – for the time being. Although, Naruto was a master at misdirection and perhaps this was simply a part of his ploy?

Before he could further ponder those thoughts, the significance of the duffel bag at Naruto's feet finally dawned on Gaara.

"You're leaving?"

Surprised at the change in topic, Naruto traced Gaara's line of sight and came upon his bag.

Understanding the source of the question, he answered, "Yeah. I need to get going. I don't want to be late."

"There is no need to rush," countered Gaara. "It is only about three days worth of travel for shinobi. Even less for you."

Naruto stepped out further on the terrace that both men occupied. He approached the railing and leaned on the edge with his elbows.

While appreciating the view of Sunagakure, he joked, "I kind of wanted to take my time. I'm not as young as I used to be you know."

Naruto then turned to regard his only remaining childhood friend.

Gaara had the barest hint of a smile on his face as he moved up to the railing and observed the village come to life as its inhabitants started their day.

He wore a tan colored robe typical for a resident of Suna. A blue tunic underneath the robe was just visible from the front. His red hair was now peppered with grey. A few of the modest amount of wrinkles that adorned his face were masked by the dark circles around his eyes.

The kanji for love was still present on the left side of his forehead. It served as a reminder for Gaara of a darker time when he fought only for himself. But the true meaning of the tattoo was a sentiment that he eventually learned to embrace thanks to the man beside him.

Naruto could not help but notice how graceful his friend had aged. His wrinkles gave him a distinguished look of a wizened man in his early fifties.

Thanks to once having the Ichibi sealed within him, Gaara's aging process had significantly slowed. Although Jinchuuriki were not supposed to survive the removal process of their demon, the former container of the one-tailed beast miraculously lived. In a last act of redemption, the person who had performed the ritual that first sealed the beast into Gaara, sacrificed her life to save his.

No longer having the demonic chakra, there was no way for Gaara's cells to regenerate. However, there was still a change to his physiology that resulted in a much longer life span.

"You know, my great granddaughter will be displeased."

"Natsumi-chan? She will get over it. Besides, she'll be busy with planning her wedding."

The seemingly older man turned to face Naruto.

"Thank you for attending her betrothal ceremony. It meant a lot to her…and to me."

Naruto tilted his head in a slight bow and said, "It was my pleasure. There was no way I would deny the invitation of the former Kazekage. Not to mention the fact that you're like family."

Gaara shook his head at the cheeky grin that Naruto gave him.

"When will you visit again?"

Naruto twisted around to face away from the panoramic view and leaned back against the railing. He looked straight up at the sky contemplating what his plans were.

"Not too sure. I wanted to spend sometime touring around Fire Country since it's been about a year since I've been back there. May be I'll finish up my latest book while I'm traveling."

The last part intrigued Gaara. Shortly after he became Godaime Kazekage, his former Jounin sensei Baki had introduced him to the _Icha Icha_ novel series. At the time, he claimed that it was to keep him sane from all the paperwork.

Without the former vice of slaughtering people, Gaara took up the suggested hobby and soon found himself enjoying the erotic literature. Of course, he kept this a closely guarded secret and told no one that he was an avid fan of the perverted books.

He was disheartened when news of Jiraiya's death reached him. He naturally felt sad that a great ninja and someone who was important to Naruto had died. But the loss was all more personal since his favorite author was gone.

Many years later, Naruto started to write his own novel series in honor of Jiraiya called _Heaven and Earth_. It differed from _Icha Icha_ in that it was not nearly as graphic and focused more on romance.

Gaara had his suspicions on what or rather _who_ inspired Naruto to start writing but never directly asked. Although, the writing style was different from that of Jiraiya's, he equally enjoyed the new series. It gave Gaara a unique insight into Naruto and he looked forward to the latest release.

"Just remember to return by the wedding. I fear for your life should you miss it."

Naruto merely chuckled to himself and asked, "When is it again?"

"Next spring," answered the retired Suna leader.

Noticing Naruto stiffen slightly he continued, "Do not concern yourself. Natsumi knew that you would be…preoccupied during the beginning of the season. She scheduled it for the beginning of May."

Naruto was pleased that Gaara's great granddaughter considered his feelings in planning her wedding. It spoke of how close he was to her and the rest of Gaara's family. Since Natsumi was old enough to wield kunai, he had been an unofficial sensei to the girl.

"Tell her I appreciate it."

Gaara opened his mouth to respond but paused and then turned away to overlook the village once again.

Knowing his friend's tendencies, Naruto figured that whatever he was about to say was serious. He patiently waited for the few moments Gaara would take to collect his thoughts.

"Perhaps it is time to stop living in the past Naruto," Gaara evenly stated.

He was met with silence. He glanced towards Naruto's face to gauge his reaction to the topic. His friend was looking down in such a way that his eyes were hidden from view.

After a several moments of a palpable silence, Gaara continued, "It is not too late for you to find some happiness."

"Gaara…I know what you're trying to do. It's just that...you know I can't do that. It would be too hard to get close to someone knowing I'm going to outlive them."

Gaara understood Naruto's plight. He too knew the pain of outliving his loved ones. It was already more than a decade since his wife Matsuri had passed away and yet the pain was still fresh. His heart then clenched at likelihood that he may also live to see his son and daughter pass away.

He also knew that there was more to Naruto's answer than just the fear of getting hurt. If his books were any indication, Naruto had not moved on from the girl that had captured his heart so long ago.

Gaara admired his friend's dedication but was also deeply saddened by it. For as painful as it was to lose Matsuri, the joy he felt during the time he spent with her was something he would never regret. The mere thought of not having shared his life with her saddened him more than her death ever could.

He simply wanted the person that he considered a brother to experience what it would be like to have a family. If anyone deserved happiness, it was the blond haired man beside him. Gaara decided to tell him as much.

"You deserve a chance at happiness."

Surprisingly, Naruto chuckled as if it was a punch line to a joke but offered nothing more.

"Naruto…"

"You're a good friend Gaara."

Gaara watched him walk towards the terrace entryway.

Once he reached his bag, Naruto picked it up and turned around to face his host with wide grin.

"Take care of yourself okay? And thanks for letting me stay here. It sure beats staying at an inn."

Gaara knew the previous topic was effectively closed. The grin that Naruto sported was no doubt a mask to hide his true feelings. The sand wielder felt a little guilty since he brought up the subject. Thus, to make amends he allowed Naruto the change in topic and continued to listen to him babble.

"…and don't worry about Natsumi-chan's fiancé, what's-his-face. Uh…To-Toshi…something. I did the whole 'if you hurt her, I'll kill you' speech with him already. Although, I probably wasn't as scary as you would be. Because, let's face it – not many people can be as scary as you. Yeah like that face you're making right now is pretty sca…ry…"

"I do not understand how one can babble as much as you."

"Hey! I resent that. You're just jealous because I'm more sociable than you."

"More idiotic would be accurate," deadpanned Gaara.

"What! Take that back you…you no-brow, raccoon eyed, geezer!" exploded Naruto.

Not surprisingly, a column of sand crashed in the exact spot where Naruto was standing. Fortunately, Naruto half expected his friend to snap and managed a **Kawarimi**[Replacement Technique] to replace himself with one of the large potted plants spread throughout the terrace.

"Oops…sorry, I'll pay for that."

Gaara looked to his right to see Naruto crouched on the terrace railing sheepishly waving at him.

"No-brow? Raccoon eyed?" Gaara repeated dangerously.

"You forgot 'geezer'," added Naruto as he childishly stuck his tongue out. "Aww come on Gaara. It was a joke. You know I didn't mean it."

Gaara narrowed his eyes at his soon-to-be-dead friend and replied, "So is this…"

Naruto's eyes widen at the sight of the former, yet extremely powerful Kazekage begin a series of hand seals. Knowing that this would be the opportune time to take his leave, he muttered, "Uhh…got to go now. Bye!"

Uzumaki Naruto then disappeared in a swirl of wind.

The lone person that stood on the terrace smirked to himself when he noticed that in the wake of Naruto's departure, a single 1000 Ryo bill fluttered to his feet. Gaara figured it was probably to cover the cost of the potted plant that was destroyed.

"Next time Uzumaki, I will not be so forgiving," Gaara muttered as he approached the the Ryo bill and bent down to pick it up. Just as he was about to grasp it, the bill exploded into a cloud of black smoke.

He straightened up and rubbed his eyes. When he pulled his hands away from his face, they were completely covered in black soot.

Off in the distance somewhere, Gaara could hear the faint laughter of the perpetrator. He entertained the notion of hunting down his mischievous friend and burying him in the middle of desert.

The idea was quickly dismissed as he knew that Naruto would be well on his way to putting as much distance as possible between him and Suna. He calmly slipped back into the manor and proceeded to his quarters to clean the soot from his person.

Gaara ignored the looks of shock and the sounds of snickers from his attendants. He marched with as much dignity as he could while having his head completely covered in black soot. Before meeting Naruto, the former container of the Ichibi would have slaughtered every one of them for their impudence.

Before meeting Naruto, he also definitely would have gone on a rampage and destroyed half the village in order to find the one responsible. However, it has been many decades since he was Gaara the maniacal killer.

An exceptionally longer life span afforded one with a sense of humor. Now he could appreciate a good prank. One would have to with a friend like Naruto. Gaara conceded that the circumstance was indeed funny and Naruto had him completely fooled.

Had Naruto planned that from the beginning? Or was it a spontaneous thing as retaliation for almost being crushed by his sand?

Naruto's voice echoed in his head. _"I learned my lesson the last time."_

As Gaara entered his quarters and closed the door behind him, he adopted a subtle smile. Naruto would have to return for Natsumi's wedding. The blond had promised her and Gaara knew his prank playing friend would never break a promise. That meant he had over a year to plan a most painful lesson for one Uzumaki Naruto.

* * *

><p>It was the strangest thing. There was a small red fox following him. Well following would not be entirely accurate. It would dart out of the bushes on to the road several meters in front of Naruto, observe him for a moment and then run off. It has been doing this intermittently for the better part of the morning.<p>

Approximately five days have passed since Naruto left Suna. Just as he had told Gaara, the pace of his travel was leisurely. It was just that morning he had crossed the border from Kawa no Kuni[River Country] into Hi no Kuni[Fire Country]. Since someone of Naruto's capabilities could essentially make the trip to Konoha in about one day at best speed, he was effectively traveling at a civilian's pace.

Only the first leg of his trip, out of the desert that surrounded Suna, did Naruto use a relatively brisk pace. When he came upon the forested area of Kawa no Kuni, he simply opted to walk.

And think.

That dream he had four days ago still plagued his mind. Or more specifically, the way the dream ended. Recollection of _the dream_ was never an issue. The aged Kyuubi Jinchuuriki could always remember every detail of every variation that dream took. This was why the last words Sakura had uttered in this variation bothered him.

Never in all the decades Haruno Sakura has been lost to him, has he dreamt of any part of their final conversation. Yet somehow, those final three haunting words she spoke all those years ago emerged from the dark recesses of his heart - and into a place that allowed him to spend just a little more time with his Sakura-chan.

It was puzzling.

But as he mulled the dream over and over, there was a detail that increasingly troubled him.

Sakura's voice was different.

At first Naruto began to panic that he was forgetting the sound of her voice. Only that wasn't the case. It was just the last part - the part that didn't belong in _the dream_ where she sounded different. And that was puzzling too.

The difference was small - almost insignificant, but noticeable to him. A slightly higher pitch he surmised. Like someone had made a minute adjustment to the tuning of a familiar instrument.

As Naruto continued to ponder the significance of those details, his attention was again drawn to the small red fox that seemed to playing some odd version of hide and seek. Again he found it bizarre. To his recollection, foxes generally avoided merchant roads and humans even more so.

This particular fox apparently had no issues with Naruto. He wondered if the Kyuubi was a factor in the strange behavior of this animal. Except for the ninja trained variety or when he was in Sage mode, typically animals both domesticate and wild tended to shy away.

Or in the case of Tora the Cat, clawed his face off.

Naruto cringed at the memory of his thirteen year old self trying to prevent a very pissed off cat from using his face as a scratching post. The blond lightly chuckled to himself as he remembered making a specialized ranking for that mission when he became Hokage. The first ever D-S rank mission with appropriate pay increases.

Sakura howled in laughter when he first told her of his plan to change the ranking of infamous Genin mission.

The wistful look on Naruto's face turned to a curious one as he noticed the fox had done something it hadn't before. It was approaching him.

Naruto stopped walking, crouched down, and held out his hand to the small fox that was now just a few paces from him.

"Hi there," greeted the blond in a tone that one would use when addressing small children.

The fox continued to approach slowly, its gaze never wavering from the human. Once it was close enough, the fox cautiously sniffed Naruto's palm. Evidently, the animal deemed the human to be no threat and simply sat on its hind legs and looked at Naruto with a titled head.

Naruto smirked at the look the fox was giving him.

"You're a pretty cute little fox, aren't you?"

Said fox merely titled its head to the other side.

"Hmm...you hungry?"

A chuckle escaped Naruto when he saw the fox lick its lips. He slung his duffel bag off of his shoulder on the ground and began to rummage through it for something appropriate to give his new friend.

"How about some dried meat?" he offered.

The fox sniffed the morsel and gently accepted the food in its mouth.

While the fox was chewing, Naruto slowly started petting the top of the fox's head and commented, "Sorry, it's not the best but that's all I have on me Foxy-chan."

After it finished eating, the fox allowed Naruto to pet it a moment longer. It then slowly turned around and began walking in the direction that it came. A few paces later, the fox glanced back at Naruto and gave off a yip before darting off the road into the forest.

Naruto took the yip for what it was and shouted, "You're welcome!"

In one motion, he lifted the duffel bag onto his shoulder, stood up and continued his journey. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki contemplated his entertaining, if slightly strange encounter with Foxy-chan. Perhaps the Kyuubi did have some influence on why that fox wasn't afraid of him? But why was that the first time a fox ever approached him then?

The aged man simply shrugged his shoulders and chalked the event as another oddity in the life of Uzumaki Naruto.

* * *

><p>"Umm...would you like some help?"<p>

"Oh! Yes please! Thank you!"

Naruto grinned at the elderly woman who looked to be in her late sixties. She had a kind face that was framed by strands of grey hair with most of it pulled up into a bun. Her most striking feature were her eyes - a vibrant gold that shone with so much energy despite her age. She wore plain robes, light green in color, that hung loosely on her frame. Her small stature reminded him of Elder Chiyo of Suna.

"Uzumaki Naruto at your service!" proudly exclaimed the deceptively _young_ man.

The elderly woman's eyes widen at hearing the name of her savior.

"U-Uzumaki-san," she stuttered. "Thank goodness...you are a life saver. I don't know what I would have done if you had not come along."

"Well, everything is going to be okay now. So don't you worry Obaasan," assured Naruto as he positioned himself on the left side of the woman's cart.

The cart in question was currently stuck in a small ditch on the side of the road. It had be a couple of hours since Naruto had last seen Foxy-chan and was feeling a little put out by the notion he was just used for his food. He then happened upon this elderly merchant woman who was trying to help her mule pull her cart out of a ditch.

In the direction he was traveling in, the road twisted in a hard left and the edge of it was not properly smoothed out. Subsequently, there was a small ditch in a section of the bend that could easily catch one of the wheels of a cart if one were not careful.

Now, the cart itself was not small by any means. In fact, it was one of largest available for traveling merchants. It was also fully loaded with merchandise. However, Naruto gave these details exactly zero consideration.

Evidently, Uzumaki Naruto of world renown, forgot he did not possess the natural strength of the Akimichi clan, nor did he ever learn or is capable of performing Senju Tsunade's strength enhancing technique. Therefore, when he tried to just brute force his way in an attempt to lift the front left wheel that was stuck, the desired results were not achieved.

The poor merchant woman merely took in the rather painful sight of Naruto trying and failing to lift the cart out of the ditch. And he was not letting up either.

"Ano...Uzumaki-san...are you alright? Your face is turning really red."

"I...mmm...jjjjuu...ssst...fine! All...mmost...there!" he breathlessly panted.

The cart moved up exactly one centimeter.

"Please do not overdo it Uzumaki-san," reasoned the merchant woman.

"Gah!" exclaimed Naruto as he ceased his feeble attempt to lift the cart.

After taking a moment to catch his breath, he glared at the offending cart with a look that indicated their battle was far from over.

Merchant cart in a ditch: one.

Uzumaki: zero.

Apparently, Konoha's Sage Master still can have difficulties with D-rank type scenarios. Naruto's right eye twitched in annoyance at that shameful thought. He really did not want to resort to using any chakra, or Shadow Clones, or even - heaven help him - Sage mode to move a mere merchant cart.

Just as he was trying to formulate a plan that did not involve any shinobi abilities out of principle, the owner of the cart spoke up.

"Perhaps if you use your legs more?" she suggested.

"Legs?" asked a confused Naruto.

"Yes. You know...lift more with your legs. Instead of just your arms."

Naruto weakly chuckled in embarrassment. "Oh...ha ha...yeah. Uh, I was just going to do that. I was just testing the uh...cart. You know? Just...and...stretching! Yeah, I was stretching too. Safety first, right?"

The kind elderly merchant lady, simply smiled sweetly at her savior and watched him again get into position to lift the cart from the ditch. But before Naruto could make another attempt, she spoke up once more.

"Wait Uzumaki-san. I will count to three and then on three I'll have my mule, Rabamaru, begin pulling at the same time you're lifting."

"Good idea Obaasan," Naruto added lamely.

She began counting and expertly coaxed Rabamaru to start pulling once she hit three. Meanwhile Naruto was lifting with the same vigor as his first attempt and was far more effective by utilizing his more powerful leg muscles.

The wheel of the cart was nearly out of the ditch but still was not high enough for Rabamaru to pull it to level ground. Not wanting to embarrass himself further and swallowing a tiny piece of his pride, Naruto pumped a burst of chakra into his muscles to help the wheel finally escape its entrapment.

The subdued applause the cart owner gave Naruto and Rabamaru abruptly stopped when the cart was pulled too far forward and the ditch claimed another wheel. This time, the rear left.

Merchant cart in a ditch: two

Uzumaki: one

* * *

><p>Naruto could feel the gaze from the pair of golden eyes belonging to the elderly merchant woman he had helped just a few hours earlier. The two of them were sat around a camp fire in a small clearing some two hours walking distance from the ditch that had delayed the merchant. The sky had rapidly darkened in the early evening hours and forced the two of them to make camp well short the merchant's intended destination of Tanzaku Gai.<p>

She leveled a curious look at Naruto as he ate - or rather devoured - his dinner.

"I'm very sorry that I do not have much with which to thank you Uzumaki-san," apologized Naruto's dinner companion.

"What? Are you kidding? This is the best reward I could have dreamed of. My supply ran out last night. I thought I would have to miss a day. Now I don't."

"But it is just cup ramen."

Clearly that was the wrong thing to say as Naruto's head shot up with a look of surprise. The mere notion that someone could imply it was _just _ramen was enough to rattle the blond. However, after a few moments, a soft chuckle escaped his lips.

"You know I used to say that ramen was the food of the gods when I was younger," he responded.

"I have always been partial to rice and grains myself," the elderly woman said to him with a knowing smile.

Naruto did not know what to make of the woman's smile as he finished off the last of his cup ramen. Which happened to be his third in as many minutes.

"Well that hit the spot! Thanks a lot for the ramen Obaasan."

"Of course Uzumaki-san. It was the least I could do for all of your help today."

"I'm just sorry that I didn't get to you sooner," said Naruto as he leaned back on hands and stared up at the evening sky. "We're not that far from Tanzaku Gai. Less than half a day's travel."

"Oh that's alright dear. This way I was able to spend some time with a wonderful young man."

Naruto turned and gave his companion a grin which she returned with that same knowing smile from a moment before. He thought to himself that if she just squinted her eyes, the smile would look very fox like. That train of thought was pushed aside as he noticed her stare was now focused on the sheathed sword that was strapped to his duffel bag.

"Tell me, are you a ninja?" the elderly woman suddenly asked.

He turned to glance back at the object of the woman's focus. The scabbard and hilt were a plain black with a uniform thin grove that spanned the length of both pieces. There was no guard separating the hilt and scabbard giving it a seamless look. Compared to a regular katana it was relatively short and the whole weapon was completely straight.

The original owner had named the sword _Kusanagi_, after the legendary weapon of the infamous Orochimaru - one of the _Densetsu no Sannin_ of Konoha.

The current owner of the sword merely nodded in affirmation to answer the woman's question.

"Then I apologize if I am mistaken, but are you the same Uzumaki Naruto that ended the Fourth Great Shinobi War?" the merchant further queried.

The recipient of the question adjusted himself to an upright sitting position and fashioned a gentle smile on the woman before his eyes became unfocused.

"That was a long time ago," he quietly answered.

"So the legends are true!" exclaimed the merchant. "Oh, please accept my most humble apologies Uzumaki-sama. I have been far too formal in my address to you."

Naruto frantically waved his hands in front of him in a gesture to stop. "No, no. Please don't worry about it. I've never been one for formalities. Besides how would a regular civilian know that I'm still around after all this time? Uzumaki-san is fine...or I would even prefer you just call me Naruto."

"Very well Naruto-kun," she replied and then lightly laughed to herself.

Naruto noticed that her tone had changed somewhat and wondered at the significance of it.

"By the way Obaasan, you never really introduced yourself. What's your name?"

More light laughter rang out from his companion and Naruto wondered if he was missing out on an inside joke.

"Yes, you are right Naruto-kun and again I'm sorry for my rudeness. I should have properly introduced myself earlier. But you understand my mind was preoccupied with something. My name is Ōgetsu Inari."

The blond adopted a thoughtful look before he bluntly stated, "I thought Inari was a guy's name."

Inari was amused by the less than tactful remark and playfully retorted, "And I thought that _naruto_ was supposed to be a ramen topping."

She again began to lightly laugh but this time it was at the pouty face Naruto gave her.

The elderly woman decided that further teasing was in order and added, "Perhaps that is why you revere ramen like you do."

The pouty face in front of her morphed into one with a look of concentration. Apparently the merit of such a theory was being seriously considered.

Inari had to stifle down further laughter since Naruto's face looked too goofy to be serious. Being around Uzumaki Naruto was very amusing she decided.

After brief lull in conversation, Naruto determined the next topic and asked, "So where do you do most of your business Inari-baasan?"

In the two hours the two had traveled together, Naruto unsurprisingly did most of the talking. He had regaled her with tales of his recent visit to Sunagakure while his companion listened patiently and simply opted to ask the occasional question. Thus, Naruto did not actually know anything about Inari other than she was a traveling merchant and her mule was named Rabamaru.

"Oh, here and there," replied Inari. "In the past I just traveled to where fate took me. But for the past twenty years or so, I have been doing most of my business from a small fishing village of Kuukai on the most southeastern part of Hi no Kuni - on the peninsula."

"Then where are you from originally?" questioned Naruto.

"Hmm...somewhere far from here," she answered wistfully.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at hearing the vague answer. It seemed that where ever she was from, it was something Inari wanted to keep private. He wondered what possible story could be behind the melancholic look on his companion's face.

In addition, her tone had definitely changed. Before, it was a tone one would expect from a kind elderly woman - polite and respectful. Now it was more playful. It was strange considering the fuss Inari first made when she confirmed Naruto's identity.

"I see," he simply said to indicate that the non-answer to his question was accepted. "So...Kuukai Village? I don't think I've heard of it. Is it known for anything?"

Inari shook her head in the negative. "Not really. As I said, it is just a small fishing village. It does have a beautiful shrine though."

Naruto turned his head to regard the cart he battle with that afternoon. "So your goods are mostly seafood?"

"Oh heavens no! Most of it is rice. Different varieties too. I also have some wheat as well."

"So...you're a merchant from a fishing village with nothing but rice and grain?" Naruto asked incredulously.

Inari merely nodded her head with a small smile on her lips as if it made perfect sense to her.

"Are you bringing this load back to your village then?" he attempted to clarify.

"No silly, I'm on my way to Tanzaku Gai."

Naruto let out a sigh and resigned himself to not understand Inari's trading system.

"Tanzaku Gai is practically on the other side of the country from where you said Kuukai is. Why are you headed there?"

"Well, I had a feeling that I would meet someone interesting on the journey," responded Inari and that strange knowing smile returned to her face.

Naruto just smiled along politely, trying to squash the creepy vibe he was getting from the woman. She was not a ninja, that much he was certain about. He detected no malicious intent from her either. There was just something that was off about her compared to when they had just met - or even just before they finished dinner.

"I see," he simply responded. "You aren't afraid of traveling alone? Most merchants I've known usually have an assistant with them. Even the younger ones."

"You should know very well that travel within Hi no Kuni is quite safe. I probably have a better chance of being mauled by a bear than attacked by bandits."

And Naruto did know that encounters with bandits and highwaymen were very rare. He was essentially responsible for the peace and prosperity that Hi no Kuni has enjoyed for the past several decades. Even the surrounding countries have enjoyed a similar type of peace.

"Still...it never hurts to have someone along." Naruto chuckled to himself and added, "Safety first, right?"

"Perhaps. You being around certainly saved me from a lot of trouble," Inari conceded.

"I'm sure that your loved ones would want you to be safe Inari-baasan."

After he made the comment, Naruto knew he treaded on to a sensitive topic since Inari's eyes dimmed a little. His eyes would dim in similar way when someone broached the subject of his parents since he grew up an orphan - and alone. But that was before he found out who they were.

"I really don't have anyone. I have a son but..." she trailed off.

"Sorry baasan. I-I shouldn't hav-"

"Do not worry Naruto-kun," interrupted Inari. "I just have not spoken about my son in a long time. You see, a long time ago he was corrupted and that corruption...consumed him. He...developed malicious tendencies which eventually led him to...kill.

Inari looked down and whispered, "He killed so many."

Naruto was confused about why she had told him the story. This was usually something that you share with someone close. Not a practical stranger.

Nevertheless, his heart went out to Inari. He knew how it felt to lose someone he cared about to corruption and darkness. His gaze unconsciously went back to the sword strapped to his bag as he thought about an old friend. _Sasuke._

"I'm sorry about your son Inari-baasan," he said solemnly. "I-I had a friend that lost himself to darkness," added Naruto to indicate that he could empathize with her.

The blond could once again see her golden eyes as she lifted her head and offered him a small smile.

"Thank you," the elderly woman softly said.

There was a brief silence between them.

"I guess that is just the way life goes. At least he is in jail where he cannot hurt anyone now."

Inari then suddenly shook her head as if to clear her thoughts and said, "Oh listen to me put a damper on things. Ah well, sometimes you just need to talk about things that are bottled up."

Naruto just nodded along, unsure on how to proceed. The blond considered that perhaps he should stop asking questions. Thus, instead of making any further comments, he decided to tend to the camp fire.

The crackle of the fire was the only sound that filled the night air as a slightly awkward mood had settled between the two of them.

Satisfied that the fire again gave off adequate heat and light, Naruto sat back and drew his knees to his chest. The flickering dance of the flames captured his attention for several moments before he chanced a look towards Inari. Through the corner of his eyes, the blond noticed she was looking at him with an intense yet curious stare.

He could tell the elderly woman wanted to ask him something. In fact, from the way she was scrutinizing him, he had a fair idea of what the question would be about. He did not have to wait long to have his idea confirmed.

"I am curious Naruto-kun. I wonder how it is you have..._lived_...the way that you do?"

Naruto smiled to himself, amused at the question and the strange wording she chose. Briefly, he wondered if Inari felt she had a little leeway due to the story shared about her son.

"You mean why does a hundred-year-old ninja still look like he's twenty-five?"

Inari sheepishly smiled at him and said, "Well, I suppose that is one way you could put it. But you look closer to twenty than twenty-five."

"It's because I don't have any facial hair, isn't it?" Naruto responded playfully.

A light laugh came from the elderly woman that dispelled the last traces of the awkward mood from before.

"Are you really one hundred years old?"

"Hmm...close to a hundred. Let's see...I guess I'm about ninety-six."

"So...how does one..." Inari trailed off.

"Trying to figure out the secrets of eternal youth?" teased the blond.

"While that would have some benefits, I am more curious about you."

Naruto laid back on the ground with his hands behind his head and looked up into the night sky. He took a moment to consider what to say and decided to reply with a question of his own.

"What do the legends say about me?"

"That you're immortal and you have a spirit within you."

There were a number of legends that surrounded the man that ended the Fourth Great Shinobi War, became the Rokudaime Hokage, and brought on an unprecedented era of peace to the Elemental Nations. The aspect Inari spoke of was one that commonly circulated among civilians. However, there were a smaller number of civilians, usually ones with friends or relatives that were shinobi, that were privy to a little more detail.

With what Inari said, Naruto knew he did not have to explain the particulars of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. It was not because he was afraid of being shunned or hated. His role in the war and after cemented him as a hero throughout the land and far outweighed any prejudice against his status as the sole remaining Jinchuuriki. Even among those civilians that knew of it.

Naruto simply decided that if he was not questioned directly about the Kyuubi, he would not talk about it. What Inari had said about _a spirit _gave him an out to remain vague.

However, he found the tone she used curious. It was almost like it was alluding to something different from the commonly accepted meaning in relation to his longevity.

"Well, I'm not really immortal. I just don't age like everyone else I guess. I have a pretty unique life force you see. And it keeps me looking like this, though who knows how long it will last."

Then in a voice a little quieter, he added, "Sometimes, I feel every bit my age though."

"I'm sure that you do Naruto-kun," Inari said compassionately. "It must be hard...sometimes. To...watch everyone else around you-"

"Grow older?" finished Naruto.

"Yes."

"Yeah...sometimes...it really is," he sighed.

And again there was silence between them. Although, it was not the awkward type from before. This silence was one of respect - the kind paid in honor of something.

"Thank you for all you have done Naruto-kun," Inari sincerely stated.

For some reason, Naruto knew the appreciation she expressed was not for the help with cart. The thought gave him a warm feeling.

"You know," he drawled out, "Most people are skeptical when they hear my name. For all you know, I could be some guy using the legends to pick up chicks."

"So...you use this story to pickup elderly women you meet on merchant roads do you?" deadpanned Inari.

Naruto shot up from his laying position and gestured wildly while shouting that he was the real Uzumaki Naruto and that he most certainly did not pickup elderly women. Of course, it did not occur to him that Inari was probably much younger than he was. Naturally, the imagery in his head contradicted all sense of logic.

The reaction and antics from Naruto caused Inari to let out a boisterous laugh. Nothing like the light laughter Naruto had her from her throughout their time together.

"Oh Naruto-kun...you are just so fun to tease," Inari said while she wiped away tears of mirth.

The victim of the tease simply laid back in a sprawl and chuckled to himself. "I guess I walked into that one, huh?"

"Yes you did," agreed Inari. "But really...after you told me your name I had my suspicions that you were _the _Uzumaki Naruto - Hero of Konoha. You, of course, confirmed it when I asked but there was something else that let me know you were not an imposter."

"Oh?"

"Well, part of the legends describe Uzumaki Naruto with brilliant blue eyes. The likes of which radiate more than any sapphire. Eyes so expressive, that one can lose-"

"Okay, okay...please...you're embarrassing me," Naruto pleaded.

"Well...basically it was your eyes that backed up your claim. I have never seen such a shade of blue like yours in my life."

"Well, I haven't come across such vibrant golden eyes like yours," countered Naruto.

"Oh Naruto-kun...such a charmer. But you are far too young looking for my tastes. Perhaps if you grow some facial hair...or on second thought perhaps not," joked Inari.

The night air was filled with sounds of Naruto's laughter even though the joke was at his own expense.

"You must have ladies wrapped around your finger," said Inari as she laughed along with him.

"Ha! I wish...all of the most prominent women in my life always used to beat the crap out of me."

"Hmm...by the way you said that, I suspect there was one in particular whose physical attention you did not mind. After all, you know what they say about girls that hit you, right?"

"They're troublesome?" Naruto said in homage to an old friend.

"Well...I am getting an idea of why you were beaten up by the women in your life."

The blond chuckled at what was implied.

"So...how about now?" asked Inari.

From his position on the ground, Naruto turned his head towards his companion and saw an expectant look staring back at him.

"Now?" he mused aloud. "No...not really. It would be too complicated with...you know."

Naruto did not say anything further and thought back to what Gaara said several days prior. _Perhaps it is time to stop living in the past._

Was it time to get go? Even if he did, there would still be the issue of watching someone grow old while he stayed the same. It was hard enough to have experienced it with his friends.

It would be a lie to say he was not lonely. But it was not something he allowed to consume him. He did his best to persevere and live his life according to his ninja way. Uzumaki Naruto learned this at a very young age.

Of course, he engaged in casual relationships to satisfy his body's natural urges. But every fiber in his being told him to avoid getting too close to someone. That it would eventually end in loss.

And then there was the crux of the matter. The whole reason why he was going to back to Konoha. The whole reason why every year he made the journey to be in Konoha by March 28th. For _her._ For Sakura.

Naruto was then startled out of his reverie by concerned calls from Inari.

"Huh? Oh, sorry Inari-baasan. I kind of zoned out there. What were you saying?"

She gave Naruto a look he could only describe as a mixture of annoyed, amused, and concerned.

Then she repeated herself, "I said, perhaps you will meet someone interesting on this trip of yours."

"You mean other than you?" Naruto said sweetly.

Inari sighed in exasperation.

"Yes, other than me Naruto-kun," she evenly stated in a tone one would use for addressing fools.

"Aw...I was just trying to give you a compliment baasan."

"Thank you dear. But I was serious. I really think you will soon meet someone in Konoha that will deeply affect your life."

The look on Naruto's face was incredulous.

"And why is that exactly?"

Ōgetsu Inari gave him the same knowing smile he had seen sporadically that evening.

"Because it is the same feeling I had when I decided to travel to Tanzaku Gai. And then I met _the _Uzumaki Naruto."

Said person merely absorbed the words and then let out an hearty laugh.

* * *

><p>Warmth.<p>

It was the feeling the sound off in the distance gave.

It was laughter.

It was _his_ laughter.

But it was fading.

Then there was nothing.

Now a faint beep.

It was getting louder

The repeating beep was not pleasant.

It was uncomfortable.

Slowly it became painful.

What happened to the warmth?

* * *

><p>The first thing the girl became aware of was the incessant beeping to her left. She slowly opened her eyes to take in her surroundings. She was in bed, situated in a room that smelled of disinfectant. Although a faint scent of lilies was also present. Her head slowly turned towards the beeping and she saw some equipment. Medical equipment. She was in a hospital.<p>

She turned her head to the right and saw a familiar figure dosing off in a chair beside the bed. There was immense relief when the girl identified who it was.

"M-Mo-Mom," the girl croaked out.

Said person hummed a response as she was roused from her dozing.

"Mom," repeated the girl a little louder this time.

"S-Sakura? You're awake! Thank Kami-sama."

Kiyoraka Mariko was immediately at her daughter's side. The older woman grasped Sakura's right hand in hers and gently cupped the girl's cheek with the other. Tears of relief and happiness poured down Mariko's face.

Sakura's vision blurred with unshed tears as she was caught up in the emotions radiating from her mother. The younger Kiyoraka woman tried to offer some semblance of comfort to her mother with a weak squeeze of her hand.

"M-Mom...what hap-"

"Shhh honey. Later. Now I'll be right back, okay? I'm going to get the nurse."

Mariko received a small nod from her daughter. She took a moment, drank in the sight of Sakura's face and ran her hand through the girl's deep red hair. Planting a soft kiss on Sakura's forehead, the older woman left the room in search for the duty nurse.

Sakura took this time to lift the blanket covers and inspect herself. Apart from the loose hospital gown she had on, her body was wrapped in bandages. Even her arms and hands were covered. It was no wonder Sakura could not really feel her mother's hand.

Satisfied that her body was more or less intact, she made another sweeping glance around the room. There was a dresser in one corner of the room. Near it was a door she assumed led to a bathroom since her mother left through a different one.

Dominating the side of the room opposite from the door her mother exited were windows. On one of the window ledges, Sakura saw a vase of lilies explaining the scent she picked up.

Through the windows was the tranquil sight of a full moon hanging majestically in the clear night sky.

Sakura turned her head towards the sound of footsteps and saw her mother enter the room with a nurse in tow.

"Hello Sakura. My name is Hisa," introduced the nurse as she adjusted the bed to prop her patient up.

"Hi Hisa-san."

"I'm just going to check your vitals, okay? How are you feeling?

"I'm really sore," complained Sakura.

"Well that's to be expected considering what you went through. I'll get you some painkillers to ease the soreness in a minute. Now, I just want to make sure your memory is okay."

Sakura looked to her mother and back to the nurse, then merely nodded her head.

"What is your full name?" asked Hisa.

"Kiyoraka Sakura."

"How old are you?"

"I'm twenty."

"What is your birthdate?"

"August 1st."

Mostly convinced that Sakura's long term memory seemed to be intact, Hisa asked one last question.

"Where were you born?"

Sakura looked down so her eyes were hidden from view as she recalled the name of her village. The village that was attacked. The place where her father was murdered.

"Kuukai Village," whispered Sakura.

At the sound of despair in her daughter's voice, Mariko sat at her side and pulled Sakura into a one arm hug.

In a quiet trembling voice, Sakura said, "P-Papa...He's gone."

"No sweetheart. He is alive."

Wide jade eyes stared into Mariko's blue-grey ones.

"W-What? B-But I saw...the dagger...into his..." gradually faded Sakura.

Mariko gently grasped her daughter by the shoulders and locked her gaze with Sakura's.

"Believe me Sakura. Your father is alive. The shinobi who rescued us...they were able to save him. Just like they saved you."

"Papa is alive?" the girl asked hopefully.

She received a tear filled smile from her mother who simply nodded the confirmation Sakura so desperately wanted to accept. After a brief moment, she buried herself in her mother's embrace. The two Kiyoraka woman cried in relief at the miracle that their family was still whole.

Hisa silently observed the loving embrace the two shared for a few seconds then decided to give them some privacy and left the room. She could come back later to finish her checks on Sakura. The girl's vitals were good and seemed to be on the mend.

Neither mother or daughter noticed the departure of the nurse. After several minutes both women pulled apart and each began to wipe away any lingering tears.

Sakura took a few seconds more to collect her thoughts and then asked, "Where is he?"

"Your father is in a different room," answered Mariko. "I don't exactly understand all the details but because of the type of wound he received, infection complicated his condition. So he is being kept isolated since his body is very weak."

Now that she was relatively calm, Sakura considered what she heard and thought back to that horrible event she witnessed. Her father was stabbed in the abdominal area. Since he was alive, it was obviously not immediately fatal and must have missed anything vital.

The shrine maiden in her offered up a silent prayer of thanks that the bandit named Kenta was not an efficient killer.

From the modest medical training she possessed, thoughts about the possible scenarios filtered into her mind. Even if the blade miraculously missed any arteries or vital organs, her father's stomach had been pierced. Therefore, there was probably leakage of intestinal fluids which can cause infection.

"That makes sense," Sakura said to herself after she theorized about her father's condition.

Then she considered her own injuries. She was pierced through the stomach as well and by a much larger blade. Why was she not riddled with infection? Her torso was sore which was expected. But why was everything else sore? For that matter...

"Mom, how long was I unconscious?"

"Hmm...about five - no, I guess it's been six days now," replied Mariko.

Sakura recalled that it was the evening of the 20th when the village was attacked - a Sunday.

"It's Saturday?"

The older Kiyoraka woman merely nodded and continued to brush her daughter's hair from her eyes.

Content to bask in the glow of her mother's attention, Sakura said nothing further. She contemplated the fact six days have passed while observing details of her hospital room.

The twenty-year-old then realized Kuukai Village had no such hospital. Only a small clinic to treat its meager population of 1200.

"Mom, where are we?"

Sakura's mother turned to look out the window and admired the beauty of the moon before answering her daughter.

"We're in Konohagakure no Sato."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's note:<strong>

As you've found out in this chapter, approximately 80 years have passed since the time Naruto learned Sage techniques. This chapter was mainly to establish Naruto in this setting and to get some insight on what has changed or not changed.

Since this is a Naru/Saku fic, I assume some of you have visited the "Heaven and Earth: Naruto & Sakura" fanclub site and saw my little tribute. If you haven't visited the site and you like all things Naru/Saku, then check out my profile for the link.

I would very much like to hear your thoughts so please review if you have a moment.

Thanks for reading.


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